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Biomedical and Clinical Core Facilities

The basic science and clinical research facilities described on this page offer shared core resources and services that can be accessed by any University investigator on a fee-for-service or collaborative basis.

CENTER FOR BIOLOGIC IMAGING
S233 Biomedical Science Towers
3500 Terrace Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
412-648-9796 (phone)
412-648-8330 (fax)
http://www.cbi.pitt.edu
The Center for Biologic Imaging provides centralized imaging services including light fluorescent microscopy, confocal laser scanning, electron microscopy, advanced computer aided morphometry, and image analysis.

CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE INSTITUTE
Scaife 401
3550 Terrace Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
412-648-2332 (phone)
412-648-2741 (fax)
http://www.ctsi.pitt.edu

The primary focus of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) is to develop, nurture, and support a cadre of clinical and translational scientists as they navigate the increasingly complex research system. The Institute seeks to integrate investigators across the full spectrum of translational research from bench to bedside to health practice so they are able to collaborate and to leverage each other’s knowledge, experiences, and perspectives. The CTSI also supports the development of novel research methods and the design of new clinical research informatics tools.

The Institute has 10 Cores through which participants from the University of Pittsburgh as well as academic, community, and industry partners engage in this mission:

Clinical Research Resources (including former GCRCs)
Community Partnerships
Design, Biostatistics, & Ethics
Education, Training, & Career Development
Industry Partnerships
Informatics
Novel Methodologies
Pilot Study Funding
Regulatory Guidance
Shared Research Resources

Details on shared resources and services available through these Cores can be found through the linked Websites. Inquiries to use any CTSI service or resource begin with completion of an online form through which you can customize your request.

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN GENETICS COMPUTATIONAL GRID (GATTACA)
Graduate School of Public Health
Crabtree Hall A308
130 Desoto Street
Pittsburgh PA 15261
412-383-7959 (phone)
412-624-3020 (fax)
barmada@pitt.edu (email)
http://www.hgen.pitt.edu/resources/cluster.html

The department of human genetics maintains a computational cluster which is available to researchers involved in health sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. This cluster is composed of 250 2Ghz PowerPC G5 processors, 8 867Mhz PIII processors, 10 1.53 Ghz Athalon processors, and 16 3Ghz Xeon processors with between 0.5-4Gb of physical RAM allocated to each processor (a total of 276 processors with 550Gb RAM). The cluster runs a combination of MacOS X (for the PowerPC processors) and Fedora Linux (for the Pentium, Xeon, and Athalon processors) system software with the Sun GridEngine software for process allocation. Most access is via command line, however the BioTeam Inquiry™ software is also installed, allowing users to interface with the system (for a limited number of tools) via a secure web-based interface. All of the programs required for bioinformatics and statistical genetics are available for the Linux and OS X operating systems, and many have XML-based front ends designed such that users can interact with these programs via the Inquiry™ interface. All of these machines are secured to allow only encrypted communication from the external network (using SSH). The storage space available exceeds 3.5Tb. All data on the cluster are stored redundantly, using redundant XserveRAID arrays as the primary storage container, a secondary (internal) RAID5 array for hourly backups, and another (off-site) XserveRAID array as a tertiary online backup container (with daily backups). Access is available on a per- project-basis, or for more extended usage. All inquiries and/or issues regarding the cluster should be directed to Dr. M. Michael Barmada (email: barmada@pitt.edu).

DIVISION OF LABORATORY ANIMAL RESOURCES
412-648-8950 (phone)
412-648-8449 (fax)
The Division of Laboratory Animal Resources (DLAR) facilitates research using animals through quality services and support. The division educates, trains, and informs the University biomedical community, as well as the public, regarding laboratory animal science. DLAR coordinates efforts to provide a humane, quality animal care program in compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. The programs and facilities are USDA registered and covered under an Assurance with the Office of Lab Animal Welfare (OLAW) of the PHS and accredited by the American Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Lab Animal Care (AAALAC), within the Division. Husbandry, veterinary, and administrative services are available to assist with meeting the institutions research and teaching needs. DLAR forms and animal care policies may be found on the IACUC website: http://www.iacuc.pitt.edu/forms.asp

EPIDEMIOLOGY DATA CENTER
Graduate School of Public Health
Epidemiology Data Coordinating Center
130 DeSoto Street
127 Parran Hall
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
412-624-5447 (phone)
412-624-3775 (fax)
http://www.edc.gsph.pitt.edu/
The Epidemiology Data Center (EDC) was established in 1980 as a section of the Department of Epidemiology http://www.epidemiology.pitt.edu/ in the Graduate School of Public Health http://www.publichealth.pitt.edu/ (GSPH) at the University of Pittsburgh . It was founded and is directed by Katherine M. Detre , M.D., Dr.P.H., http://www.edc.gsph.pitt.edu/faculty/detre/ who is assisted by Deputy Director, Sheryl F. Kelsey , Ph.D. http://www.edc.gsph.pitt.edu/faculty/kelsey/ , and an executive committee that includes Drs. Steven Belle, Kim Sutton-Tyrrell and Stephen Wisniewski, Ms. Kim Beringer, Ms. Sharon Lawlor and Mr. Jeff Martin. The EDC has been involved in more than 85 research studies sponsored by the National Institutes of Health , other government agencies and industry. Presently the EDC coordinates data management and analysis activities for 29 research projects sponsored by federal agencies as well as industry. The current studies represent a variety of scientific designs including clinical trials, registries, and case control studies. The EDC hosts groups of researchers from around the world.

The mission of the EDC is to provide a research environment in which complex health questions can be explored and answered using the combined tools of biology and statistics. The EDC established collaborations with clinicians to design, conduct and analyze the data from multi-center, randomized clinical trials and epidemiologic cohort studies. To contribute to the development of new knowledge, the EDC develops and refines data collection, data management, computing and statistical methods, with the ultimate goal of advancing treatment and prevention of disease.

The EDC is headquartered on the first and ground floors of the Graduate School of Public Health. Within the EDC office space, a large central area is used for staff meetings, training sessions, external project meetings, conferences, and special projects. The EDC also has a reception area, conference rooms, a supply room, microcomputer assembly room, and a raised-floor computer room, which houses a Digital Equipment Corporation VAX 6610 computer system as well as Novell NetWare, ORACLE Enterprise, Web and Backup servers.

The EDC employs 23 faculty, 88 full-time staff and 22 part-time and student employees. A variety of academic backgrounds and fields of expertise are represented including physicians, biostatisticians, applied mathematical statisticians, epidemiologists, nurses, systems analysts, programmers, data managers, data entry personnel, and administrative personnel.

Most of the faculty and staff are involved in more than one research project. This varied workload promotes a healthy interaction among the projects, and allows for the interchange of the staff ensuring adequate, qualified support for individual projects during periods of peak activity. It also facilitates smooth transitions during periods of staff turnover.

FLOW CYTOMETRY FACILITY at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute http://www.upci.upmc.edu/facilities/fcf/index.html
See the website for cytometry resources available for cancer research at the University of Pittsburgh.

FUNCTIONAL IMAGING RESEARCH PROGRAM
The Functional Imaging Research Program (FIRP), a joint facility of the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC, allows researchers to make full use of two powerful imaging modalities, positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. The physical proximity of these facilities encourages collaboration by bringing investigators and imaging specialists together in an atmosphere of open communication. One of the program's main goals is to facilitate combined modality imaging, in which complementary information from PET and MR images is combined in a single functional image. This program is directed by faculty members from the School of Medicine.

  • Magnetic Resonance Research Center (MRRC)
    Room B804
    UPMC Presbyterian
    200 Lothrop Street
    Pittsburgh, PA 15213
    412-647-9700 (phone)
    412-647-9800 (fax)
    http://www.mrctr.upmc.edu/
    The MRRC is dedicated to the development and application of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) for medical and biological research and is forging new paths in the use of functional MRI to study cognitive, sensory, and motor function in the brain. The MRRC currently operates state-of-the-art 1.5T and 3.0T MRI scanners. The MRRC is also scheduled to begin operation of a powerful 7.0T whole-body MRI scanner in the spring of 2005. This scanner will be the most powerful whole-body scanner in the state of Pennsylvania and one of a small group of such instruments that are currently being installed at leading research institutions throughout the US, Japan and Europe.
  • The Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Facility
    PUH B-938
    200 Lothrop Street
    Pittsburgh, PA 15213
    412-647-0736 (phone)
    412-647-0700 (fax)
    http://www.pet.upmc.edu
    The PET Facility supports a variety of research efforts in collaboration with faculty in the Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, Radiology, Medicine, and Anesthesiology and the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. It is noteworthy that researchers at this facility developed a prototype combined PET/CT scanner, and demonstrated this technology as the most powerful imaging tool available for localizing, evaluating and therapeutically monitoring head and neck cancer. The combined PET/CT scanner, known commercially as the Biograph, was FDA approved in 2001 as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool for cancer treatment.

GENERAL CLINICAL RESEARCH CENTER (GCRC) – University of Pittsburgh
The GCRC facilities have been replaced by the expanded service offerings of the Participant and Clinical Interaction Resources Core within the Clinical and Translational Science Institute.

GENOMICS AND PROTEOMICS CORE LABORATORIES
Gold Building
3343 Forbes Avenue, 3rd floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
412-648-9440 (phone)
412-648-1891 (fax)
http://www.genetics.pitt.edu/
The University of Pittsburgh Genomics and Proteomics Core Laboratories (GPCL) were created in 1999 by Dr. Arthur S. Levine, Senior Vice Chancellor for the Health Sciences. The GPCL is committed to fostering the implementation of modern genomics and proteomics in research, education, and clinical care encompassing the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Basic and Health Sciences. The GPCL is equipped with state-of-the-art instrumentation and provides a variety of standard as well as customized Genomic and Proteomic analyses to university researchers and their collaborators. Genomics services include DNA sequencing, candidate gene and whole genome SNP genotyping, RNA/DNA extraction, purification and QC services, Affymetrix and Illumina gene expression micro-arrays and TaqMan real-time PCR.

Proteomics services offered include Protein Identification by Peptide Mass Fingerprinting, de novo sequencing, PTM analysis, DiGE and standard 2D PAGE and LC MALDI. The Proteomic platforms available include a high performance MALDI TOF-TOF MS/MS, MDLC MSⁿ ion trap and a basic MALDI MS.

The Bioinformatics Analysis Core provides state-of-the-art bioinformatics analyses of genomic and proteomic data. Services available range from application of established and validated algorithms to the development of new, targeted approaches. Consultation is available for experimental design and for grant application development.

New technology is added frequently. For a complete description of services and pricing, please visit http://www.genetics.pitt.edu. The laboratories offer expert knowledge and support with experimental design, protocol development, technical support, data analysis, and interpretation. Affiliated services include cytogenetic analyses and transgenic/knockout mouse production.

JOHN A. SWANSON MICRO AND NANOTECHNOLOGY (JASMN) LAB
Swanson Center for Micro and Nano Systems
B63C Benedum Hall
3700 O’Hara Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
412-624-4709 (phone)
http://www.engr.pitt.edu/site/scmns/
The School of Engineering in the University of Pittsburgh has recently established the John A. Swanson Micro and Nanotechnology (JASMN) Laboratory located in the 6 th floor of the Benedum Engineering Hall. A strong research team is on board with expertise in the areas of microfabrication, smart materials (piezoelectric and electrostrictive materials, magnetostrictive materials and shape memory alloys), functional polymers and devices, micro power generation systems, and MEMS device design and applications.

The facilities of the JASMN Lab are open for the University-wide Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) and Nanotechnology research and education activities. The current facilities can be utilized for the fabrication, packaging, and testing of various thin and thick film materials, microsensors and microactuators, and various functional materials based micro- and nano-scale devices and structures. Due to stringent processing requirements, the lab is designed to meet class 1000/10,000 clean room specifications throughout with certain areas and rooms in the lab satisfying class 1000 specifications. Activities that can be performed in the JASMN Laboratory will include: DC and RF magnetron sputtering, photolithography, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), anisotropic and isotropic etching, reactive ion etching (RIE), bulk and surface micromachining, silicon-silicon bonding, electrostatic bonding, wire bonding, dicing, probe inspection, measurement and testing, etc.

LUMINEX CORE FACILITY
Hillman Cancer Center, Lab 1.18
5117 Centre Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
412-623-7748 (phone)
412-623-1415 (fax)
http://www.upci.upmc.edu/facilities/Luminex/index.html
The University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) Luminex Core Facility was founded in 2003 by Dr. Anna Lokshin and is located in the Hillman Cancer Center.  With over 22 years of combined Luminex assay experience, the UPCI Luminex Core Facility staff is familiar with many Luminex protocols and offers researchers accurate, reliable, and reproducible processing and analysis services.

Luminex technology is a flexible platform that permits the simultaneous quantitative analysis of up to 100 different proteins, peptides, DNA molecules and much more from as little as 50μl of sample in a single microtiter well.  Luminex is compatible with various sample matrices such as serum, cell culture supernatants, plasma, saliva, spinal fluid, tissue homogenate supernatants, urine, and ascites.  Popular applications for Luminex technology include protein, gene and transcription factor expression profiling, isotyping, mRNA expression, microRNA expression, and signal transduction; new applications are added frequently.

The UPCI Luminex Core Facility can process and analyze samples using commercially available manufactured kits or unique Core developed kits.  The UPCI Luminex Core Facility can also develop custom analyte Luminex assays using investigator-supplied antibodies and a protein standard. 

For additional information on the services provided and pricing, please contact 412-623-7748 or visit our website at http://www.upci.upmc.edu/facilities/Luminex/index.html.

MACHINE & ELECTRONICS SHOPS
A115 Scaife Hall
412-648-9332 (machine)
412-648-9444 (electronics)
http://www.cbp.pitt.edu/shops/machine.html (machine)
http://www.cbp.pitt.edu/shops/eshop/eshopindex.html (electronics)
The Cell Biology and Physiology/Pharmacology Machine Shop provides consultation, design and fabrication services to School of Medicine investigators who need specialized devices for experimental use. These services are also available to UPMC faculty physicians who need specialized clinical devices. Services are fee based, and accounts are required at the time of request of service.

Machine Shop personnel can diagnose and repair mechanical scientific machinery and equipment. Electronics Shop personnel can repair centrifuges, ovens, data systems, test equipment, and other electronic devices. They can also build acquisition systems, heating systems, photodiode systems, LED lighting, electrodes, Ussing products, and related equipment.

PEPTIDE SYNTHESIS CORE

Center for Biotechnology and Bioengineering

300 Technology Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15219

412-383-9540 (phone)
http://www.pitt.edu/~rsup/mgbresupfac17.html 
The Peptide Synthesis Core provides comprehensive services for synthesis, purification, and characterization of synthetic peptides that are verified by mass spectrometry. Facility personnel are available for consultation with investigators regarding the design of synthesis peptides, estimates of yield, and considerations of purity requirements. Peptides can be produced at standard scales of ~0.025 mM (10-20mg), 0.1 mM (50-100mg), 0.2 mM (100-200mg), and 0.5 mM (300-500mg), with actual yields dependent on peptide length and content. Peptides may also be prepared with specialized modification, such as acetylation, biotinylation, phosphorylation, cyclization, or fluorescent dyes. The facility has the capacity to produce certified peptides for use in human clinical trials with appropriate production documentation for submission to the FDA and other regulatory agencies.

MICROSCOPY FACILITY
145 Crawford Hall
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
412-624-4448 (phone)
412-624-4759 (fax)
http://www.pitt.edu/~biology/
The Microscopy Facility of the Biological Sciences Department is a multi-user facility devoted to light and electron microscopy techniques in cell and developmental biology and digital and photographic rendering of biological images. Thomas R. Harper, the facility manager and technician, is available for training and scheduling of equipment use, as well as consultation and assistance with research projects and imaging. The facility is supported by an hourly fee for the use of equipment and an additional fee for technical assistance.

PITTSBURGH MOLECULAR LIBRARY SCREENING CENTER
10040 Biomedical Science Tower 3
3501 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
412-648-9200 (phone)
412-648-9009 (fax)
http://pmlsc.pitt.edu
The PMLSC Screening Facility, located on the 9th and 10th floors in the Biomedical Science Tower 3, provides investigators with the ability to run High Throughput and High Content Screens. The following equipment and resources are available for investigators:

  • Automated compound storage and retrieval system
  • Liquid handling robots for compound transfer, compound cherry picking, and filling assay plates
  • Multimode plate readers with luminescence, fluorescence, fluorescence polarization, time-resolved fluorescence, and absorbance detection capability
  • High-content imaging screening robots with the live cell and kinetic screening options
  • Cheminformatics Oracle database and a high-content screening image storage and analysis database
  • Screening microscopes that image wells from 96- and 384-well assay plates
  • Tissue culture hoods and incubators
  • Multichannel pipettes
  • Plate-sealing robot

If you are interested in utilizing any of the services offered by the PMLSC, please contact us at our web site.

PITTSBURGH NMR CENTER FOR BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH
Carnegie Mellon University
4400 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
412-268-6336 (phone)
412-268-7083 (fax)
http://www.cmu.edu/nmr-center/
The Pittsburgh Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Center for Biomedical Research is supported as a Biomedical Research Technology Facility by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health. Established in 1986 by Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, the Center brings together scientists and clinical investigators in a concerted research program focusing on the application of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to the biomedical sciences. Center investigators from Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh and local hospitals use animal and cellular models in their studies and have expertise in such diverse fields as biology, physics, computer science, neuroscience, medicine, and surgery. Other academic, medical, and industrial researchers are welcome to use the Center’s facilities.

PITTSBURGH SUPERCOMPUTING CENTER
4400 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
412-268-4960 (phone)
412-268-5832 (fax)
http://www.psc.edu/
The Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC) provides university, government, and industrial researchers with access to several of the most powerful systems for high-performance computing, communications and data-handling available to scientists and engineers nationwide for unclassified research. PSC advances the state-of-the-art in high-performance computing, communications and informatics and offers a flexible environment for solving the largest and most challenging problems in computational science. As a leading partner in the TeraGrid, the National Science Foundation’s program to provide a coordinated national cyberinfrastructure for education and research, PSC works with other TeraGrid partners to harness the full range of information technologies to enable discovery in U.S. science and engineering.

PROTEIN/PEPTIDE SEQUENCE LABORATORY
301 Clapp Hall
412-624-0106 (phone)
412-624-4759 (fax)
http://www.pitt.edu/~biohome/index.html
This laboratory is able to provide investigators with as much amino acid sequence data as possible (or desired) from samples they submit. Chemical (Edman) protein/peptide sequencing and amino acid analytical services are provided. A PE BIosystems 492 Procise cLC sequencer provides state-of-the-art Edman chemistry, and in-gel digestion and separation is also available.

TRANSGENIC & GENE TARGETING CORE
http://www.tgt.pitt.edu
The Transgenic & Gene Targeting Core provides state-of-the-art mouse genetics technologies to the investigators from the University and its affiliated institutions.


Please contact Chris Akers, Office of Research, Health Sciences (cakers@hs.pitt.edu) with any updates, or additions.

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Last Update:  02/11/2008